


You Speak of Destiny As It Was Fixed

by Abreu



Series: Don’t You Go Before I Go [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Alternate Universe - His Dark Materials Fusion, Anxiety, Badass Toph Beifong, Brotherhood, Depression, Drinking to Cope, F/M, Father's Day, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Gen, His Dark Materials Inspired, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Smoking, Toph Being Awesome, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko's Scar (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abreu/pseuds/Abreu
Summary: “Kid,” the man with the trilby hat groaned, his wolf daemon looking annoyed.“Yeah?” Aang perked up.“Remember when I asked you if you were the Avatar and you said no?”“Yes.”“I’ll ask one more time; are you the Avatar?”Aang smiled with childish guilt. “Yes?”The man groaned loudly and the wolf howled. “Great, now I’m stuck with the Avatar in a ship headed for the Fire Nation with the Prince of said nation who definitely has a crush on a guy named Sokka as the Captain.”“Maybe it’s—”“If you say it’s destiny, I swear, I’m killing you right here. I’ve got enoughdestinyto last decades.”“Sokka and Katara will rescue us, you’ll see,” Aang spoke with determination. “And Zuko ain’t that bad honestly, his Uncle is nice.”(OR, the “His Dark Materials” AU no one asked for but I shall deliver with some Zukka, Kataang, and an actual plot)
Relationships: Aang & Toph Beifong & Katara & Sokka & Suki & Zuko, Aang (Avatar) & Original Character(s), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang (Avatar) & Original Character(s)
Series: Don’t You Go Before I Go [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872682
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when you re read “His Dark Materials” and then watch Avatar. As of now, I’m reading the Amber Spyglass, finished the Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife.  
> Gotta clarify, this happens in the Avatar world and has nothing to do with the trilogy, well, some things are related but nothing of what happens to Lyra and Will is canon here.  
> For those who haven’t read His Dark Materials, don’t worry, I’ll explain things as this story goes along.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yurek is a simple man, and he definitely doesn’t want to do anything related to the prophecies or the Avatar. But like Navi loves to remind him, trouble usually finds _him_ even when he tries to avoid it.
> 
> General Iroh might suggest is destiny, for he has a proposal to give. The world is changing and soon, one would have to take a side in the war. Shaw would argue Yurek already took a side.
> 
> Yurek just wants peace. But he’s getting none of that with the tea loving Iroh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have no chill whatsoever.

He felt as if he was being watched.

He was paranoid about mostly everything, it had served him well, for he was alive. However, it felt annoying to think someone was watching you when in reality it was just your mind, yet, he did feel like this time he was actually being watched and followed. He tried to shrug it off, let the people who was following him think he was oblivious at it. He passed the crowds with a quickness and grace, the market was full of people, just normal people, their daemons moving out of the way when he stepped.

He tried not to look back.

His leather brown boots clicked with every step, he pulled his coat closer and pushed his trilby hat out of his main field of vision. Yurek was a simple man. He dressed simple, by his standards. A couple of amber worn out boots, a mahogany red leather jacket and a huge leather brown coat with stuffing around the collar. He pressed his hands together, he had dark blue leather gloves (well, one in his right hand, the other was missing). Overall, he wore worn out leather clothes. His pants becoming gray in the knee area, seemed to had been once a dark green and to top it all off, wore on his head a black trilby hat.

“Someone _is_ watching,” Navi, his daemon whispered. He was a black wolf with golden eyes, matching Yurek’s. His thick black fur, that matched with Yurek’s hair in his youth (nowadays it was becoming more and more gray), made him look big, grandiose and brawny when in reality he was more lean and clever. Just like Yurek.

“Don’t say anything,” he whispered back. “Just keep moving, if anyone is following us by the time we reach port, I’ll make a move.”

“Yurek—”

“You know I hate to fight, Navi, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”

The walk to the port was filled with small updates from the part of Navi. Yurek was growing impatient, he was a cowardly pacifist, which usually meant that if no one actually threatened his three rules, he wouldn’t fight. Not even when the world was waging war on each other. When they made it to port, all the ships from different nations were anchored, some were big and pretentious, others were just barely doing their job. Yurek made a full stop when he saw a Fire Nation ship.

“You don’t think this has any correlation between whoever is watching us, right?”

“Who did you piss out now, Yurek?” There was an annoyance hidden somewhere in Navi’s tone.

“To be honest,” he said as he walked towards the opposite end of the port, holding unto his belt where his knife was hidden. “It could be many people.”

They moved between the sailors. No one seemed to be bothered by the Fire Nation ship, most of them wouldn’t, they were just normal people who had adhered to their reign, it only meant less freedom and more control. Nowadays, even in a town as reclusive as this, the Fire Nation was everywhere, and with the hope of the prophecies to come true fading with each passing day, people seemed to adapt to the new change.

Yurek wasn’t one to adapt much.

They tried not to bring attention to themselves, tried not to bump into other people and their daemons. Yet, it seemed people had a certain idea of who Yurek was, as they tried to avoid him and Navi as well. Usually that was bad because Yurek’s business thrived in social interactions but this time, this time he was glad everyone was getting out of his way.

“There’s an alley a few feet away from here, to your right,” Navi noted.

“You think we might lose the person following us?”

“We can at least confuse them for a bit in which we can flee.”

“You think bender or not?”

“What does it matter if they’re a bender or not?” Navi scoffed.

“Because if we don’t stop this person right here, we risk them following us for the rest of my trip. If they’re bender, I can’t take them. If they’re not, I might.”

“If they’re a bender, Yurek, you can surely—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence, as Yurek had made a sudden right turn, bumping into a man with a daemon as a seagull. The man cursed in sailor slang but Navi growled which was enough for the man and his daemon to back off and continue walking. The alley was in itself, narrowed and loaded with boxes. Yurek moved one of the boxes to hide, Navi, who back in their childhood could become a ferret or a mouse to hide inside his shirt, had to lay down on his feet to try and hide his figure.

There was silence for the next seconds with only the sounds of the sea and sailors speaking. Then, a man appeared in the alley, he was short, and his body was rounded, from the shadows, he looked like a man and his daemon was nowhere to be found. Yurek knew it had to be near, not even the Firelord himself could do without his daemon.

After a few seconds, the figure seemed to have lost Yurek and was turning around.

That’s when Yurek attacked. He was slick and didn’t bring much attention until he swung the golden knife and tried to cut the cheek of the figure. However, the man reacted quickly, dodging his swing. Yurek turned around hastily, trying to swing again but the man already knew what he was going to do, he quickly disarmed Yurek by bringing his hands to his wrist and with a smooth move, brought the golden knife to his own hands. Then, he took Yurek in a chokehold move but didn’t apply pressure to his throat, instead, the tip of the knife was pointed at his spine.

Navi was growing, ready to pounce, showing his teeth and sharpening his claws. He would’ve made a move if it wasn’t for the snow leopard that jumped out and got on his way. Unlike Navi, the snow leopard didn’t see at the offensive, he was ready to counterattack if the wolf were to pounce but wasn’t in a tensed position.

“Just the man I wanted to see,” the man’s voice was heard.

Yurek knew that voice. He had heard that voice before. He knew the owner of that voice. And suddenly, everything made sense. Navi remembered as well, not longer ready to attack, he was now just at the defensive, shall anything go wrong. Yurek chuckled. “General Iroh,” he said taken back. “To what do I own the pleasure to being held in a chokehold with my own knife pointed at my back?”

General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, and uncle to a nephew who was brooding in their ship, chuckled too as he dropped the knife and broke the chokehold. His snow leopard, Shaw, walked towards him, beauty in every form but the fiery eyes had become meek. In his part, Navi sat down next to Yurek who was getting back his knife, the wolf was bigger than the snow leopard and rivaled her fierceness.

“We need to talk, I have something to tell you,” Iroh spoke. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time though, yet, can I offer you a nice cup of tea?”

Yurek, ever the paranoid and clever man, pondered on the words and chose his carefully. “It’s quite peculiar I stumbled upon you, here and now, something tells me this was not a coincidence.”

“Ah, the same quick-wittedness of your father.”

“I saw a shop, it’s just on the corner opposite from here. I’ll take your cup of tea and listen to what you have to say.”

Shaw growled, it wasn’t a threatening growl yet it wasn’t lower enough to be consider a purr, it was more of an, a sort of agreement growl. A truce.

“Made enemies, Yurek?”

“Well depends, made enemies all around the globe if you say those who will probably kill me if I step foot in their territory,” he smirked aloof. “But some that have chased me? No, I am not that important.”

“We’ll see,” Iroh smiled already walking away.

It was three years later that Yurek frowned as how weird that answer was.

* * *

“Thank you,” Yurek thanked the two waitresses who brought them food the minute they sat down. He frowned at such sudden hospitality with skepticism. “Thank you.”

“May I ask why is everyone in this tea shop looking at you with certain disdain?” Iroh spoke, the warm cup of Ginseng tea touching his lips.

“I may or may have not stole from some bad people a day or so ago. I had hoped they would’ve left town by now, but it seems they’re still here.”

“And the hospitality of the owners?”

“That I do not know. But what I _do_ know is that when someone does a nice and kind gesture all of the sudden, it usually means they want something from you,” he took a bite from his bacon. “So, tell me, what’s the thing you want from me and Navi?”

Shaw growled again, and glanced at Iroh. The old general shook his head. And sighed. “Always so straight to the point.”

“You’re the one who told me you don’t have enough time here.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard why I am here and not in the Fire Nation.”

Yurek scoffed. “Of course I’ve heard. Although they’re mostly rumors, one can hardly pinpoint the truth out of sailors and criminals. They say that your brother banished his own son, he burned his face.”

Iroh flinched at the blunt words. “Yes, those rumors are true I’m afraid.”

Navi whimpered and Yurek dropped the bacon. “How..? Why? Wait,” he stopped, pondered on his next words and looked afraid for a second. “You think he’s the one in the prophecy, don’t you? The one that will accompany the Ava—”

“Names have powers, Yurek, I thought you would know that. It’s best if we don’t say the name out loud.”

The bacon and the food became banal at the information Iroh was laying in front of him. No longer interested in eating, he put aside his plate and only drank a sip out of his tea. Navi, who has been laying relaxed, had sat down with a curious graze. “You’re out of your mind, are you Iroh? The prophecies, they’re not true. The Ava— _he_ hasn’t been seen in a century, and to think just because your nephew was banished, it’s-it’s—”

“Remember in your youth, when you were obsessed in finding those who the prophecies talked about? _When the Breeze meets the Sea and the cycle continues again_ —”

Navi growled. Yurek tensed. “You’re mad. That’s what you are. To think your nephew is the one who the prophecies talk about. That’s nepotism, or at least one form or it. You have spend too much time reading old tales, Iroh. Those prophecies don’t mean anything until _he_ is found, and people have lost hope, it’s just a matter of time the Fire Nation wins.”

Iroh took a piece of bacon out of Yurek’s plate. He was relaxed. Or at least less stressed than Yurek. He looked like someone who knew what to say and when to say it.

The people surrounding them didn’t know who those two men were and they didn’t take the slightest interest in their conversation.

“ _The flame that’s destined to end his destiny and the wind that will start his. Two sides of the same coin. To bring the end of an era. The boy who knows only war and the boy who knows only peace_.”

“ _And when their destinies finally touch, they will be tempted by their own selfish needs. Shall they take a side of the coin, the world shall end in defeat_. That’s the part of the third prophecy you seem to forget, Iroh. Your nephew has very much taken a side, if he hadn’t, he would be sitting next to you.”

“My nephew is hurt right now, confused and lost,” Iroh contradicted. “But he has been tasked with something in order to go back home, and I know for some time being, he will try to achieve the task. It’s the only hope he sees right now, and you of all people know what it feels to cling unto some hope.”

Yurek said nothing. Instead, Navi spoke. Daemons would rarely speak for their humans counterparts when another human was present, though not prohibited, it was a phenomenon some of the time.

“We hold no trouble with your nephew, General Iroh. But we value our lives first. You must understand you’re making serious statements that can bring unbalance to the world.”

“On the contrary, Navi. The world is already unbalanced. What this mean is a chance for balance again.”

“Alright, alright, let’s say your nephew is the one who will betray his whole nation, fall in love with who he shouldn’t, help the one who he injured and all that while not knowing what part he is to play because then we’re fucked,” Yurek spoke, mockery in the edge of his voice. “What does that have to do with us?”

Iroh sighed and placed the cup down. “Before I answer your question, may I ask you a question?”

“Enlighten me.”

“What are you?”

“I’m a drifter, wayfarer, itinerant, whatever you wanna call it. You give me a campaign, I help. For a reasonable price and as long as it doesn’t go against my three own rules.”

“Then, perhaps, I have a job for you,” he smiled.

Yurek scoffed, his stomach growling for some food. He brought the rice to his mouth and as he chew, spoke. “Oh yeah? You can’t afford me, General.”

“Won’t you even hear it?” Iroh frowned.

“You have brought the _prophecies_ into this, I have a feeling it will have something to do with that. And let me tell you, Iroh, I know what you’re fighting and you’re going to lose. Navi and I have survived as long as have because we don’t get involved with affairs of the Fire Nation.”

“Just listen the proposal, then you can decline it and I go my way and you go yours.”

Navi looked at Yurek. Their eyes intertwined. Yurek knew what Navi thought about the situation, he wanted to give Iroh the benefit of the doubt, to hear his proposal when Yurek wanted to leave and find another town where the Fire Nation wasn’t there. He believed Navi was going to tell him he couldn’t run any longer, that the world was becoming smaller and there would be no more room to run one day. But the wolf didn’t, he just licked his hand as a show of solidarity. Yurek sighed.

“What’s the job?”

“I need you to find the Avatar before my nephew and help _him_.”

Silence.

Not a word.

Then a laugh. Laughter exploded as Yurek began laughing like a madman, choking on his food and crying from it. He couldn’t help it. Now, the other costumers began to stare at the man who had not only stole from them but was now laughing incredibly loud. Navi, for his part, looked around as he showed his teeth, just in case anyone tried to make a move on Yurek. In his part, the thirty-eight years old continued laughing, trying to contain himself but failing.

After what seemed hours but was mere minutes, the laughter died done and he send an apologetic wave to the people surrounding him. Then, as his breathing stabilized, he looked at Iroh. “I’m sorry, I think I heard you wrong. You want _me_ to find the— _him_? Someone who hasn’t been seen in a century? General Iroh, I’m afraid you might lost your mind. This breaks two of the three rules I have.”

“Oh, which are?” Iroh didn’t seem fazed by his reaction at all. He seemed...amused.

“Our survival,” he put one finger up. “Not getting involved in the Hundred Years’ War,” another finger.

“I will pay you in gold pieces.”

Navi looked at Yurek and betrayed his thoughts. Iroh’s daemon Shaw was extremely perceptive, she could see how deep down, both of them wanted to fight, just like they used to back in their youth, they wanted to help but something held them back—held back _Yurek_ , for Navi seemed eager to fight. Shaw’s perceptiveness was shared to Iroh with just a one second glance. Yurek scratched his chin and took another bite out of his bacon.

“No, I’m afraid not even the whole treasury of the Fire Nation will get us to try and find the Avatar,” he stopped and drank. “However, because you were good friends with my father, and good friend to me, and you know how I never forget my friends, I shall inform you of every rumor, every story I hear of the Avatar from my travels. I give you that.”

Mmh. It was a start. Not the one Iroh was expecting from a man such as Yurek but a start. He placed his attention to the knife that was hanging from his belt. It wasn’t a normal knife, it was golden, with a handle decorated with emblems and symbols, the blade itself looked like a metal not known to men.

Yurek caught the curious expression and remembered what his father had told him. _General Iroh is a good man but his alliances lay in his family and his nephew, not us, and sometimes white lies are best to protect our families_. The knife was something of value, perhaps more than Yurek himself knew, something passed down from his grandfather, to his father to him. Yurek’s father had been smart enough to never mention or even bring it to attention when meeting Iroh but after his death and the sudden reality of no home, Yurek wore it, his only means of defense.

“It’s fake,” he spoke. “I won it in a game of cards, which you know I excel at. People like to stare at it, as if it’s real, good for business, you know?”

“It’s peculiar.”

“Anyways,” Yurek took the last bite. “I’m sure you have somewhere to go, and I have somewhere to go. Thanks for the job offer and I’m sorry if you didn’t get what you were here for. However, it was nice to see you again,” he began to stand up.

“There’s stories of this wayfarer with a knife of extraordinary powers. It is said it can cut through every material known to man, and even to cut between places. Any truth to that?”

If those words came from anyone else, they would’ve sounded offensive and challenging. In the voice of Iroh, they sounded curious and innocent. But Yurek knew better, Navi knew better, they knew how tricky could be the Dragon of the West. This was no longer about friendship, their friendship would remain unscathed, this was militant action. “I don’t know.”

“There’s nothing wrong with choosing a life of peace and prosperity, Yurek. But failure is just another opportunity to begin again.”

From the depths of his pocket, Yurek was able to bring four bronze pieces and laid them on the table. “It was nice to see you again, Iroh. If I were you, I would leave, your nephew needs you.”

They didn’t wait for answer, as soon as they came, they were gone. Only Iroh and Shaw remained. Iroh drank his tea in silence, Shaw was sitting next to him, and he knew what she was thinking, somewhat worried and also anxious.

“How do you think it went?” He spoke.

Shaw gave a low growl. “As well as it could’ve been. Though maybe your bluntness scared him.”

“He will come through, he has a good heart, and Navi?”

“He wants to fight, that could be seen. He _is_ Yurek’s good heart but something is holding them back, especially Yurek,” she made a stop and looked at Iroh. “What about the knife?”

“The knife is safer in his hands than ours, though I am curious to how he gained it, we know he won’t used for his own personal gains.”

“So, there’s nothing left to say, isn’t it?”

Iroh placed his empty cup on the table and brought two silver pieces up to his hand. “No, there’s only what we will do and what we won’t do, Shaw, the world is changing, and rapidly, all we can do is to prepare.” He put the pieces besides Yurek’s payment. Then, when the waitress approached, he bowed. “A good tea, thank you for your hospitality.”

As they exited, Shaw turned to Iroh. “You really think Zuko is the one in the prophecies?”

“I know my nephew has a big future in front of him, I know he is destined to do great things. But he needs to do it by himself, we can’t force a destiny on him.”

“He still believes Ozai was right on banishing to find the Avatar. He believes his scar was rightfully given.”

Iroh flinched. He hated that his nephew thought it was his fault that he got injured, he wished so badly to tell him his brother was just a psychopath and what he did was in every sense of the word wrong. But Zuko was angry, confused and somewhat lost, saying those things would just anger him more and make the distance they had grow even bigger. All Iroh could do is subtly letting his nephew know he wasn’t a bad person, subtly letting him know one could choose their own destiny and try to be there for him when he needed.

“We’re going to help him in any way we can,” he was soft spoken. “We own it to him.”

“I’m worried about all of this, not going to lie, I think you’re walking on a thin line. As Yurek said, the prophecies work only if the Avatar returns,” Shaw said. “And I’m worried Yurek will do something stupid, I don’t think he realizes how powerful of a bender he is. Navi is a clear example of it.”

Navi was a male wolf and daemons with the same sex as their human counterparts were not common. Iroh could only say he met a handful of people who’s daemons were the same sex as them and they turned to be powerful benders or skilled non benders.

“I do not know if the Avatar will return,” he admitted. “But the world needs balance and I’m sure somehow, it will gain that balance. I am not worried about Yurek in that department,” he gave a sheepishly smile. “What made him say no to us holds him back to his powers. But we have planted a seed, I know with the right time and right care, it will grow on him. I believe in him.”

“Do you think everything would’ve been easier had Sohin been here?”

“We can’t dwell on the past, Shaw,” he said but then continued. “But if Sohin or Omark would’ve been here, then, yes, things would be easier.”

Meanwhile, a devastated and pretty shaken up Yurek roamed the port in search of something, anything to get away from Iroh and his stupid prophecies. Anger was well written in his face, a scowl and his eyes piercing like stones, whoever tried to approach him would not get the usual aloof, rascal greeting. Navi felt his anger and his surprise about hearing the prophecies, he was trying to catch up to him as he dove his way out of the crowds.

“Not a word,” Yurek gritted his teeth when he felt Navi was going to say something. “I don’t want to hear how I made the wrong choice, I don’t want to hear you take his side.”

“I was going to say you should slow down,” Navi took his chances.

“You’re a wolf, Spirits’ sake, you have stamina to catch up to me if you wanted.”

“You’ll tire yourself out if you continue like this.”

Yurek came to a halt, Navi had to trip to stop himself. Then, the man in the trilby hat made his way to the side, no one bothering looking his way. He sat down and laid against a wooden post. His daemon sat next to him, licking his hand trying to cheer him up. “Go ahead, tell me why you think I chose the wrong side, it’s been bugging you off since we left.”

Navi whimpered. “All I said it’s that Iroh needed our help, we should’ve given it to him. He even offered to pay us in gold.”

“He was asking to go search the _Avatar_ , Navi. Not just a criminal who got away or an exploration out to the desert. He wants to search someone who doesn’t even exist, or didn’t.”

“That didn’t stop us once.”

Yurek hissed. “That’s different. Very different and you know it. Back then,” he trailed off. “...back then, we were— _I_ was reckless and young. Do I look fifteen to you, Navi?”

The wolf made a sound that would’ve resembled a laugh.

Yurek was still feeling devastated. But Navi’s happiness was soothing. “The Avatar and the prophecies are a dead end, and you know so, it’s better this way. We don’t get in trouble too much, we get paid and one day we’ll save enough for that house by the sea.”

It sounded like something he had heard someone else said. And Navi knew he wasn’t believing it either. “Sohin would’ve accepted.” That was a risky move, that was a suicidal move but Navi knew Yurek, he knew him better than anyone, if he used that desperate move, it was for his own good.

“She’s not here, but we are. And I won’t do it, I won’t search for a myth that doesn’t longer exist.”

“You once said _the place to give help is where you see it needed and they need our help_.”

“I also said _I want to live_ and they will surely put that in risk.”

Navi laid beside him. He looked at the feet of the people that passed and their daemons, and put his head on his shoulder. Ever since he took the permanent form of a wolf, he did that. It was a sign of love and companionship. When Yurek felt alone, Navi reminded him he wasn’t.

They spend a few minutes like that. Then Navi looked at Yurek.

Back in his youth, he had been a handsome man, reckless, impulsive and passionate. He was loyal to the ones he thought worth it and valued family above many things. In his youth, Yurek’s hair matched Navi’s charcoal black fur, and his eyes had this childish spark with determination. Nowadays, that spark had faded, something hollow in its place. His hair was turning gray with each passing day and he looked _exhausted_ but so exhausted. Heavy dark circles under his eyes. His attractiveness came from his personality but still good looking, he prided. He still looked youthful, maybe even younger than what he was. But Navi knew if he kept living his life like they were, he would end up destroyed.

Iroh was right. Yurek was right to chose happiness and love over power and ambition.

But things had changed, and it seemed the world was getting smaller and smaller, and there would come a time when Yurek’s wants and needs would be nullified by the sacrifices that the world demanded of him.

“Let’s move, we have a long journey ahead if we want to make it to Yu Dao before Saturday,” Yurek spoke, getting up with ease.

Navi didn’t say anything. He just nodded.

One day, Iroh was certain, they would all have to face the destinies they were given, even those who tried hard to run away from them. Back in his ship, he wanted to go talk to his nephew about his injury but knew that would only get him nowhere, so he decided to give him some space to heal himself but always there to help if he asked for.

Iroh believed people could change it they set their minds to it. He also believed people shaped their destiny with every decision they made. Anyone could make their own fate if they only kept an open mind, he theorized. There would come a time when Yurek would have to end what he started, when Zuko would open his eyes to the reality and when the war would be over. Iroh and Shaw could only help to a certain point to shape their own destinies. For they had a part to play as well, Iroh assumed. But today wasn’t the day, today was the day he got acquainted with an old friend and the day his nephew would set sail to the Western Air Temple in hope of finding the Avatar.

Iroh could not predict everything, and he didn’t want to. He realized the best way to prepare for the future was to live in the present.

“Care for a game of Pai Sho?” He shot a smile to the crew members as he stepped in the small boiling room. They were already sailing. There was no turning back.

“It would be an honor,” Lieutenant Lee bowed and his cat daemon nodded in respect.

Three years later, as they sailed the Southern seas, a blue ray of light beamed up from the iced tundra, and Zuko knew where Iroh didn’t, that his search had come to an end. Somewhere in the middle of the war, the boy who only knew peace awoke. And soon the world would know, the prophecies were in motion.

The Avatar was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this shit? Perhaps. But hey, I like it. So, if you’re kind enough, maybe drop a comment or kudos?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko woke up expecting another stupid, cold day roaming the seas of the Southern Pole. He woke up with the expectation of finding the Avatar.
> 
> Sokka woke up hungry and hoping there would be enough fish so he shouldn’t go fishing.
> 
> Something definitely went wrong along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I wrote like four different drafts about how this would go, in the end, I stuck with the first one. It was fun.

Zuko hated the cold. He was a Firebender. He could endure the heat but the cold? No. He hated how it clung to the bones, freezing even the smallest thing. It didn’t help he was sailing the South Pole’ seas in a metal ship. Which meant he was feeling the cold even more than in a wooden ship, that made him wonder if that’s why the Water Tribes didn’t have metal ships.

They adapted, of course.

Zuko adapted, too.

The day started as any other day, the seas were as frozen as the day before, maybe even more, the crew was working, looking as miserable in the cold as him, and his uncle was drinking tea. Nothing new.

Zuko envied the crew members who had for a daemon something like a cat or a dog to cuddle with in the cold. He, in any way, wouldn’t change Druk for anything in the world, but an eagle wasn’t exactly the most cuddly thing in the world when talking of the cold. He remembered when Druk could become a ferret, or even a fox and would place himself in his neck as comfort.

But of course, when he attained puberty, Druk took a permanent shape.

In hindsight, Zuko was glad Druk had taken a form for once in for all, and there were perks of having your soul be an eagle. It was nice to be able to talk to him even when he was flying, knowing he would hear him. It was nice to know who you were.

Then again, maybe they both didn’t know _exactly_ who they were.

“Any news?” Zuko spoke with the most authoritative tone he could, Druk on his shoulder, glaring at the Captain.

The Captain shook his head and his gecko slid through his sleeves. “Nothing, sir, just more frozen ice and cold.”

Zuko groaned.

“Maybe it’s time to move elsewhere, Prince Zuko,” his uncle’s voice boomed. “Though I must admit, the cold isn’t as bad as it could be.”

“That’s because you have Shaw. She’s literally a snow leopard!”

His uncle laughed. Shaw purred. “True, I got lucky, didn’t I? Then more reason to maybe take a break, with this cold, one could get sick.”

“No, we don’t alter course. We continue until we have searched every corner of the South Pole, then we move to the Southern Water Tribe. And you had have enough vacation, all you do is drink tea and play Pai Sho.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, as soon as that order was given, he was out of the door, in his way to the deck, though he heard his uncle sigh. Zuko didn’t make anything out of it. The halls, made of metal, were freezing and the cold was getting to his bones. His uncle had told him his Firebending could prevent him from getting cold — _it all comes from the breath, Prince Zuko_ —he said. Oh, Zuko did try but it didn’t go nowhere, so now he was probably the one firebender who couldn’t prevent a hypothermia.

“You really think we will find him here?” Druk spoke.

Druk was an eagle, a beautiful Eastern Imperial eagle. His feathers were a reddish brown with golden ends. His eyes shone bright with the same color as Zuko’s. Druk was the only reason, perhaps, Ozai, Zuko’s father had tolerated him for so long. Druk was a male, which meant his human counterpart would be a very powerful bender— _if_ he was a bender. Of course, Zuko hadn’t made such correlation and probably wouldn’t for a while.

However, Druk didn’t have the same awful scar on his left side as Zuko.

“If we don’t, we will find him _elsewhere_ ,” Zuko answered. “He has to be somewhere on Earth. He can’t simply _disappear_.”

And although Druk didn’t voice it, Zuko knew, because that was part of the daemon gig, he knew that Druk would rather go back somewhere in the Earth Kingdom than spend the rest of the year stuck in an icicle. It was part of their friendly banter, Druk would complain in silence, knowing fully well Zuko would know, about their search the Avatar until Zuko gave in. Or viceversa. Now it was Zuko’s turn, who expressed nonverbally how much he missed the times in his early banishment where Druk could become _anything_ and share their warmth.

Though there was this peace and relief of getting your daemon to take one form permanently. His uncle would say that revealed who you truly were, your personality.

They came to the deck and got hit by a burst of cold air.

“There’s not much to hide in, you know?” Druk said.

There was just ice and water. That was it. Icebergs and blocks of melting ice swimming in the cold as fuck sea they were sailing.

“That means he will be easier to find,” Zuko looked at him. He then glanced at the sky. “Can you—?”

He hadn’t finished his thought, Druk had already soared to the skies. He was an eagle which meant his vision was greater than what Zuko would ever have, or any animal. He knew to maintain distance, for the bond between human and daemon was bigger than life itself, Zuko could feel Druk’s hollowness when he got farther and farther, never to the point of physical pain but enough to make Zuko feel slightly uncomfortable.

They didn’t do this often, for the same reason. But when they did, it was in hope that there was _something_ that could help in their search.

It only lasted a few minutes, in which Zuko held his right arm upwards and Druk landed on it gracefully. The prince furrowed his eyebrows.

“Well?”

“Ice. That’s it. Ice and snow and sea,” Druk answered.

“This-this is a waste of time,” Zuko groaned. “Where else we search? The Northern Water Tribe?”

“They will drown us before we even get remotely close to them.”

“Wow, thank you for your encouraging words.”

Druk gave a look that would probably had been a glare. “I’m being practical and realistic, they are too stubborn to crack.”

“Then what? Give up?”

A pause.

Silence spoke a thousand words.

Then a caw. “The Southern Water Tribe. They might be harboring the Avatar, who knows? If not, maybe let’s start looking at the possibility he died and passed it on to the other elements.”

Zuko pondered on that thought. The Southern Water Tribe, for what his uncle had told him, was a mess. It had once been as glorious and strong as its sister tribe, however, being the closest to the Avatar’s Air Temple, Sozin, Zuko’s great-grandfather, had left nothing to fate, if the Avatar was to be reborn, it could be in any of those two tribes. The Southern Water Tribe was the closest and for that, it was the one who got the most raids.

Zuko was nonchalant at that. The Avatar was a threat to the Fire Nation, a threat to the world itself. The Waterbenders and Water Tribe peasants were inferior to Zuko, they didn’t matter much. However, giving the fact only a handful of his crew were soldiers, he had to rationalize them if they had to face the Avatar.

He could not simply attack the Water Tribe. He had to just take what he wanted and leave the rest.

“Alright, I’ll tell Jee to alter course,” he made a quick pause. “You think what, if the Airbender Avatar died? He’s a Waterbender or an Earthbender?”

“Let’s think of that once we are _sure_ he’s dead as an Airbender,” Druk pecked his feathers. “And remember, the last person to search for the Avatar spent fourteen years before—”

“—he gave up,” Zuko finished with a bitter taste. “Well, his honor didn’t depend on the capture of the Avatar. So, we won’t give up.”

“He didn’t exactly gave up,” Druk corrected him.

“In the end, I don’t see the difference.”

Everyone, well almost everyone, knew the story of the Explorer. Zuko had learned it by heart, studying it, examining it. The Explorer had mapped out his discoveries, written them down with messy handwriting and it was of a huge help to the young prince that didn’t the minor idea where to start his search. The only place the Explorer hasn’t gotten to map was the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.

That man had spend fourteen years of his life searching for the Avatar. He hadn’t find him.

Zuko was different. He knew how to adapt. He didn’t need luck, he didn’t need help, he knew his destiny was to capture the Avatar. One way or another.

Without a word, Druk hopped on his shoulder as Zuko moved swiftly to his cabin.

* * *

“We need fish.”

Sokka looked up to see Gran Gran holding a basket with little to none fish. She looked disappointed and serious, as she always looked, but Sokka knew better. He stopped sharpening his boomerang and stood up. He took a quick glance to the basket and then addressed his grandma with a frown.

“How long can this last us?”

“Today.”

Her short, blunt answers were really a blessing sometimes. Sometimes they were exasperating. This time, it was between those two.

Sokka sighed. He knew what it meant. He would have to go fishing. Now, by all accounts, Sokka was a master of a lot of things, he had a lot of hidden talents that just his luck, they remained hidden. He would only admit to Itsrik, his daemon hare, that he sucked at fishing. For he could barely catch any when he went a whole day fishing. He didn’t pin it all on himself, Tui and La knew how difficult it was to find fish or any sign of life in the frozen tundra.

But still, Sokka hated going fishing. But he hated more the thought of living without food, especially meat, for a while. So, duty called.

“I’ll go fishing, Gran Gran.”

As Sokka’s luck would have it, his annoying, bossy, organized and Waterbender, younger sister Katara, stepped in the tent followed by Jarvik, her cat daemon. She gleamed when Sokka said he was going fishing, and this time, he knew where it would lead up to. He didn’t know if he had the patience today.

“You’re going fishing? Care if I join you?” She asked with such innocence, as if they weren’t going to have the same argument again.

“It’s good, I don’t need your help. You can stay here and do,” he paused. “Whatever girls do. Leave the fishing to the men.”

Itsrik gave him a look—no, she gave him _the_ look. The one that meant he had said something he shouldn’t and was about to pay the price. Suddenly, he felt the urge to hit his head with the boomerang.

“You’re such a sexis—”

“Katara, stop,” their grandmother was already tired of the same argument. She gave a stern look at Sokka, and he understood. “It will be a good sibling bonding moment, she’s a Waterbender, maybe she can help you.”

He snorted. “Such a Waterbender,” he said really quietly in hopes his sister didn’t hear.

Didn’t work.

And suddenly, his whole face got wet by snow.

Itsrik snorted.

Sokka gave a scowl. “If you keep doing this, I’ll drop you in the middle of the sea and come back home without you,” he threatened.

“Children,” Gran Gran warned. But instead of reprimand them, she just sighed. Her rabbit daemon with her. “Just don’t wonder too far, you know how ruthless the icebergs can be. Come home before dinner.”

And just like that, Sokka had no free will.

Katara gave him a smug smile as she left the tent following Gran Gran. Leaving Sokka and Itsrik alone again.

“You shouldn’t had said that,” she spoke, looking at him with the glare.

“It’s true! And I mean, how is she going to help us? It’s just more weight and less space for food!” He defended himself.

“Sokka, you’re a pretty smart guy but you lack communication skills.”

“Oh thanks, that’s so insightful coming from you.”

“You also suck at fishing. So, it’s not such a big deal.”

“You know, I don’t know if you’re trying to cheer me up or offending me. Or both.”

“Hey,” she shrugged, her eyes sparkling with joy. “I’m just the daemon of a meat and sarcastic guy, what to do expect?”

Sokka kneeled to grab the spear and moved his mouth in a mock. “Haha,” he said. “So funny.”

Itsrik hummed as she hopped from his sight to move to his side. “Is either that or stay with the rest of the village and hear the Soulmates’ Tale again.”

“Ugh, I’m done with that tale, no thanks.”

The Soulmates’ Tale, was about that, just a tale. Sokka didn’t have a word plastered on his skin or anything like that. The Soulmates’ Tale ran more emotionally than physically. He knew it by heart, having been stuck listening to the women tell it to their children. He vaguely remembered a time when his mother would tell him that story before bed. Supposedly, there were three types of soulmates, with one common trait, as the worldwide tale went.

There were the typical lovely soulmates, which they had a name for but Sokka had forgotten it all about which basically was the whole stereotypical soulmate story. Two people meant to be together, since the beginning, and both of them knew, or one of them, Sokka forgot, the gist was that in the end, those two would end up together no matter what. Which was the type that everyone wanted because, hell, there’s might be some pain and trouble, but hey, at least you two will be together no matter what.

Then there was the more common type of soulmates (if you believed in such thing), which name started with C but Sokka was not bothered to learn it fully. Two people meant to be together, not initially, however, thanks to the fact neither of them knew they were soulmates. That was more of the adventurous romantic story about two people that could despise each other falling in love, to in the end, be together as they were meant to be. However, thanks to the fact neither of them knew they were soulmates, they could spend years before realizing it. Which usually made for a more bittersweet moment if not detected early.

The last one, well, it was the saddest one out of them all. Personally, Sokka felt if he ever had a soulmate, it such thing existed, it would be this. The name was long forgotten, so he knew it wasn’t his fault. This type of soulmates, well, basically, it was all one-sided. Two people meant to be together just not in this world, nor this time or this era. They were perfect together but they met at the wrong time. They were meant to be. Just not then. It was all too tragic, to be honest. It was usually one-sided, only one person _knew_ they were meant to be together, and life was really cruel, for those two would always be intertwined with each other but never to actually touch.

All of that was, of course, rhetorical. Soulmates weren’t something written on your skin nor just one glance to fall in love. It was real life. It was someone who you just _knew_ that was the opposite of you. Daemons in their ways were your other half, they completed you in their own way, for they were you. In love you were not searching for your other half, you had it in your daemon, you weren’t searching for someone like you. You were searching for someone exactly unlike you. Someone that not even your daemon couldn’t be. Someone that you and your daemon needed. To simply complete each other.

There was no place for love in a war.

“Come on, now, we gotta long journey ahead of us, it will take us more than half the day to go fishing,” Itsrik said as they left the tent.

“You think we might find something interesting?”

“Who knows? But if I took a wild guess, I would say it will be a same plain day.”

“I really hope you get more excited as the day goes on, you know?” Sokka remarked with a quirky smile. “You’re too serious sometimes, Itsrik.”

“Hey, I’m just the more responsible and mature part of you.”

Sokka chuckled as he saw Katara in the horizon. She was already packing her things, which weren’t much, as they were just going fishing. He swore to protect his sister ever since his father and the other men had left for the war, which again, was extremely difficult when all she wanted to do was explore and see the world. Or at least, their world. It was just ice and snow. But she still wanted to explore it. Sokka felt that if she continued down that road, he might be just helpless to her cause.

He did not want any harm to go her way. But there was a little voice inside him, or perhaps it was Itsrik herself, that said he could not protect her forever.

Oh but by Tui and La, he was going to try.

“You’re slow, you know?” Was the first thing she said, glaring at him.

He shrugged. “When you get my age, your body isn’t what it used to be, little sister, you will know one day.”

“You’re barely one year older than me.”

He smiled again. “One year more of experience than you,” he stuck his tongue out. “Come on now, try to keep up.”

He heard an indignant scoff behind him.

He wished Katara would just settle as a housewife. It would make it all more easier. But Katara wasn’t like that.

What did he expect?

* * *

Whoever the Explorer was, he had shitty handwriting, Zuko had concluded.

He groaned for the twentieth time as he tried to decipher the writings of that man, who seemed to had been to excited by his findings to actually take the time and transcript them properly. The man had never found the Avatar, he gave up, but he had made many discoveries about the Airbenders and what used to be of them, of course, much of his explorations were discredited. How he theorized that the Airbenders didn’t have an army, or how the battles were more of a genocide, those were theories that Zuko was disgusted by. Just more propaganda against his nation.

What Zuko was trying to read was a letter the Explorer had written to a scholar decades ago. He was going on detail about what he believed there was a sacred room in the Southern Air Temple which only an Airbender could unlock. Zuko had seen that door, he couldn’t figure how to unlock it, he believed that maybe, maybe, there the Last Airbender laid there. However, that letter was written with such excitement that only someone with answers seem to hold.

 _It’s my destiny. I know it. I will find the Last Airbender, my love, and when I do, all those who have doubted me—_ us _, they will have a foolish look in their faces! I’m close to finding him. I soon will be in your arms. And then, we can rewrite the stars, as many times as you like. I just know it’s my destiny._

Zuko rolled his eyes. The man voiced his thoughts about destiny often in his writings, he believed in it so fervently. He was obsessed with it, even. Every time he could, he would remind himself, or anyone, that it was his destiny, his fate, his entitlement to find the Avatar. He would brag about what he would do if he did find him. which at first was to end the war, help the Avatar end the war, then it turned into a bragging contest. Zuko had no time with those small insignificant things. However, he understood where the Explorer came from. The poor fool had thought this destiny was to find the Avatar. A man that came from nothing, that was nothing. Thought he had such big destiny.

“He reminds me of you,” Druk commented as he plucked his feathers, uninterested about the transcripts.

Zuko looked up. “What?”

“The Explorer’s obsession with his destiny and the Avatar. He reminds me of you. Of course, it’s actually _your_ destiny to find and capture the Last Airbender. Unlike him. But there’s something that reminds me of you.”

“Don’t compare me to such man. He was a nobody. There’s a reason he gave up, and that’s because he was weak. I am not weak. And I won’t give up.”

“I’m not comparing. I’m just saying he _reminds_ me of you. And if you think it’s an insult, then remember that I’m insulting myself as well.”

“Look at this,” Zuko said with disgusting indignation in his tone. “He wrote _for what I have discovered and studied, there is no sign of the army of Air Nomads Sozin and his descendants have claimed, there’s only the bodies of men, women and children alike, slaughtered like animals and said to have fought back. The only army in sight, is the Fire Nation’s_. Do you to think I would say such thing? This man, if it is that he is still alive, should be tried for treason!”

“If his name was known, then perhaps he would be tried for treason.”

Zuko tried to reprimand the memories of the Southern Air Temple and how he, too, didn’t find signs of the army of Air Nomads. Instead, he focus on the last entry on that immense book he used for his discoveries.

_I have concluded that trying to find the Avatar will result in an utter waste of time, for he isn’t nowhere on Earth. Perhaps, the only places I haven’t searched, those being the Water Tribes, harbor him. The prophecies, however hopeful we can get, are pure stupidity without the arrival of the Avatar. I hope my findings and my search help whoever in whatever way possible._

_Destiny and fate are nonsense. No one is destined to something. Rewriting the stars is as impossible as it can get_.

“What am I doing with my life?” Zuko groaned.

Before Druk could give him one more sarcastic remark, a knock on the door was heard and a few seconds later, it opened. It was a crewman, he looked uncomfortable which was exactly what Zuko felt any time he had to socialize with someone.

“You uncle is asking for you, Prince Zuko, he’s on deck.”

The crewman didn’t wait for an answer. He left as quickly as he came.

Zuko gave a look to Druk, the eagle looked at him back and hopped on his shoulder once more. The prince got up from his seat and sighed.

“What do you think he wants now?”

Druk nonchalantly answer was. “To spend time with you.”

For some reason, that played heavy on the prince’s heart. He shook it away.

* * *

Perhaps, just for once in his life, something could go _right_ for Sokka. He tried to maintain that positive attitude that Gran Gran had said would get him good things, however, it seemed despise such thing, he was bound to have something, anything go wrong in his life.

Right now, it was being soaked to the bones with cold water in the middle of a cold and freezing panoramic. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Itsrik somewhat amused look, which wasn’t really helping at all.

“Why is it that every time _you_ play with magic water, _I_ get soaked?”

For visual support, he clenched his gloves and drops of water fell.

“It’s not _magic_ , it’s Waterbending and it’s a—” Katara started.

Uninterested by it, Sokka cut her off. “Yeah, yeah, _an ancient art to our unique culture_ , blah, blah, blah,” he turned away from her, trying to squeeze all the water out of him as quickly as possible. “Look, I’m just saying, that if I had weird powers, I’d keep my weirdness to myself.”

He heard the scoff and slight meow of his sister and his daemon. He decided to ignore it.

She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. “You’re calling _me_ weird? I’m not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection on the water!”

Sokka, who, got distracted as he tried to dry himself, frowned as Itsrik chuckled. He send her a glare. Before he could say anything, however, the canoe began to shake. Enough for both of them to lose their balance and cling unto the sides in hope is stability. Suddenly overwhelmed by panic and surprise, Sokka turned whirled around, a frantic look on his face as he realizes what’s happening.

Rapids.

The canoe, now out of their control, was sailing straight to the rapids and icebergs near them. At an incredible speed, one most noted. Itsrik hopped on his shirt, shielding herself inside of it.

He had to act.

 _Right now_.

He took the paddle and began paddling like a mad man. It was perhaps a poor attempt to steer clear from the icebergs and get crushed. His muscles began to ache from the paddling but the adrenaline was covering that pretty well. He gained enough speed to avoid floating chunks of ice. Unfortunately, by gaining that much speed, it was impossible to stop now.

His heart was racing and he could feel Itsrik’s racing as well. He kept paddling furiously, trying his best to avoid the ice. But they were closing in another huge chunks, and Sokka was running out of ideas.

“Watch out! Go left! Go left!”

He heard his sister shout. As they narrowed on the ice, he managed to escape them by veering to the right, however, the current didn’t allow them to move and he saw more ice and this time, not even paddling would save them. He whirled around in time to look at his sister and jump before the ice crushed the canoe into dust.

If there was something worse than being soaked from the hip up, it was _definitely_ being immersed into the freezing sea. He clutched unto Itsrik. Hoping he wouldn’t slide right off the floe, he was lucky (perhaps for the first time in the day) and fell butt first unto the ice, his spear clung to the ground. Katara, however, slid right down to the side, and for a second he thought she was going to fall, but Jarvik, grabbed her from her boot and slowed her down.

She quickly moved away from the side and took a place next to her brother. She felt angry and annoyed at him. “You call that _left_?”

Sokka, in turn, got defensive. “You don't like my steering? Well, maybe you should've,” he waved his hands off mockingly. “Waterbended us out of the ice.”

From his shirt, he felt Itsrik squirm and knew he had made a bad decision. He could care less right now. Katara, for her part, got up indignantly, Jarvik following her, looking quite pessimistic himself.

“So, it’s my fault?”

“I _knew_ I should’ve left you home! Leave it to a girl to screw things up!”

There was a yelp out of his shirt and he heard Itsrik. “No,” she whispered.

Well, too late to backtrack now.

He dared to look at his sister who was fuming. Jarvik’s fur was upwards and his sister’s face was overcome with fury. “You are the _most_ sexist,” she brought her hands up to her head and swung them back down and behind her in her rage; the movement created a small wave of water behind her. “Immature,” Hands raised back to her head. “Nut brained,” she swung her arms back down again, creating a slightly larger wave, she then raised her hands back to her head during a brief loss for words.

“I'm embarrassed.” Throwing a hand upward, a short jet of water shoots upward. “To be related to you!”

She swung both her hands back forcefully once again and her unconscious Waterbending hurled a wave directly into the towering iceberg behind her, with a loud, splitting crack, a hooklike fissure arcs up its surface and out its side, leaving a spray of ice where it ends.

Sokka, who was listening to her sister rant as usual, heard the crack. He glanced nonchalantly at the sound and then saw the huge iceberg with an equally huge crack on it. Then, making a double take, he realized his sister was Waterbending unconsciously and that her fury and swings of hands were cutting through the ice. Now, Sokka was not the best at being patient, he had a temper as well, but he was gladly going to swallow his pride if it meant his sister not breaking that huge iceberg and making them food for the predators in the sea.

He wasn’t even listening by now, fright overwhelming him as every movement she made was another fisure to the ice. Neither her or her daemon seemed to notice what was happening right there. Sokka, instead, was terrified as the ice continued to break.

Katara persisted. “...while you've been off playing soldier!”

 _Yep, swallowing my pride it is_. With a voice subdued by fear, he tried to calm her down. By now, Itsrik was moving nervously around his shirt. “Katara...”

She didn’t seem to get the message, she got angrier and Jarvik hissed. “I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, _not pleasant_!”

With those words, her arms swung again and two huge chunks, emphasis on huge, flew out of the iceberg.

 _Alright, fuck swallowing my pride, I guess_. Sokka didn’t care in absolute what he had to do to make his sister calm down. “Katara, settle down!” He didn’t meant to sound impatient, instead, it was the fright of being crushed or drowned.

Looking back, Sokka wondered if everything, and by everything, he meant _everything_ , could’ve been avoided if he had just kept his mouth shut about sexist comments.

“No that's it! I'm done helping you! From now on, you're on your _own_!”

Her last movement is her most agitated and it made a huge wave which, which impacted the iceberg, sending a number of fissures to snake their way up the iceberg; one of them reached the top of the iceberg, splitting it completely in half.

In other words, and the words that Sokka’s mind thought of, were _well, fuck_.

That seemed to wake Katara up, as she and Jarvik turned around and looked up, complete petrified of the sight in front of them. She had managed a gasp as Jarvik ran to her arms, he was a small Bombay cat. He had black fur, but not that black that made you think _Oh, the person and their daemon are really depressing or dark_ no, it was more of a beautiful and elegant black.

Sokka would later compare it with the daemon of a man dressed in leather.

Jarvik hid under her coat, probably not the most comfortable position but it worked. The two halves of the iceberg fell away from each other. A wave larger than anything it radiated outward toward them as the pieces fell to the water and Sokka and Katara were thrown to the ice as it pushed their floe backward.

Unconsciously, Sokka brought his arm protectively on Katara, who in turn was holding Jarvik with her eyes close. The wave slowed down enough to not make them fall but not enough to keep them dry as they got soaked from the head down. For Sokka, it could simply not get worse.

But the universe loved to prove him wrong.

As the chaos subsided and no imminent threat was nowhere to be found, Katara opened her eyes and Sokka took his arm off. “Okay, you've gone from _weird_ to _freakish_ , Katara.”

“You mean I did that?” She asked, astonishingly, Jarvik gave a meow.

“Yep. Congratulations.”

Suddenly, several small bubbles appeared on the surface of the water directly in front of them and a small spot of water began to glow with a bright bluish hue. Sokka felt the panic and fright come back to him again as the bubbles began spreading until there was no room for uncertainty, something was rising out of the water, something big.

An iceberg rose above the surface, revealing its massive form to be the source of the glow. The crashing waves generated by the iceberg's rising pushed their floe backward as the berg itself rocked to one side, before coming to rest with its rounded dome exposed above the water.

 _Yeah, no._ Was Sokka’s first thought, already trying to go the opposite side, however, Katara seemed mesmerized by the huge glow of the iceberg. He knew she would want to go explore, he couldn’t and wouldn’t let her do such rash decision. He held his arm to try and stop her. With much skepticism as well for him.

He was perhaps lost in his thoughts when he saw a boy, or better said, a boyish figure perched in lotus with something indistinguishable huge above him, open his eyes to reveal the same blueish glow where his pupils would be. _Yeah, now this is a definite no_. He thought but before he could voice it, Katara spoke.

“He's alive! We have to help!”

Before Sokka could grab it, Katara grabbed his club out of its sheath on his back and pulled her hood over her head, heading in the direction of the strange boy sealed in the iceberg. Sokka, having an ounce of common sense and protective instinct again reached out his hand in an attempt to hold Katara back, though she was already running across the ice with Jarvik following her fervently, thought with more skepticism than any other cat.

From his part, Sokka had wiggled Itsrik out of his shirt, it would’ve been more counterproductive had they stayed that way, and tried to follow his sister.

“Katara, get back here!” He took his spear from the ice. “We don't know what that _thing_ is!”

Of course, she didn’t listen. She never did and never would.

Katara hopped across the short distance between her floe and the iceberg on five tiny chinks of ice; Sokka, close behind her, does the same. Reaching the iceberg first, Katara repeatedly struck the iceberg with Sokka's club.

 _By Tui and La, let this not be something traumatic_. He thought.

On her fifth strike, the club broke through the surface and a great gust of wind, which emanated within the iceberg, threw her and her brother back from the side of the dome. Fissures quickly snaked their way over the whole iceberg and, in a massive outward explosion, the entire orb of ice destroyed itself.

 _Definitely traumatic_. He clutched unto Itsrik for the fourth time in a day.

A beam of light bursted from the core of the iceberg and rocketed into the sky.

Meanwhile, a few miles away from that exact spot, Zuko got the breakthrough he needed. The cold no longer bothering him, he didn’t even feel it as he saw a huge beam of light explode into the sky. He knew what it meant and by Druk’s small caw, he also knew what it meant.

“Finally! Uncle, do you realize what this means?”

Iroh sighed, Shaw looked uninterested. “I won't get to finish my game?”

Zuko shook his head and focused again on the light. “It means my search is about to come to an end.”

Another sigh from his uncle and Zuko needed, for some unknown reason to explain it to his uncle. “That light came from an incredibly powerful source!” He pointed at the fading light. “It has to be him!”

From his shoulder, Druk clung unto him in hopes of calming him. Didn’t work exactly.

“Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko,” He looked at the tile in his hand, depicting the symbol of airbending. Then, he focused on his nephew. “I don't want you to get too excited over nothing.”

He placed it on a tile carrying the symbol of firebending. Yurek’s words echoing on his mind.

 _Those prophecies don’t mean anything until_ he _is found_.

He knew Shaw was looking at him and he knew the question on her mind; _is it actually him_? The Avatar, could he return? Actually returned? If he was, then, Zuko was to have the adventure of a lifetime with pain and loss throughout it.

Would it be selfish of Iroh to hope for one day more?

“Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming Jasmine tea?”

“I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman, head a course for the light!”

Iroh closed his eyes. Had his nephew chosen a side?

No. There was still light in him. It was just a matter of time.

“If it’s actually him, we don’t have time,” he heard Shaw whisper.

He said nothing.

Back to the iceberg, where the gale has begun to settle, Sokka, who was now really worried, had protectively clutched Katara, but he without nothing happening, he reluctantly released her as he looked around. Light still encircled the remains of the former mountain of ice, now reduced to a hollowed-out crater. He looked at his sister with the _don’t do anything, please_ look and they both got to their feet, Katara holding onto her brother. He pointed his spear at the crater, ready to defend them, though lowered it in shock as a figure emerges slowly from the depression in the iceberg.

“Stop!” He raised it back, hoping his voice didn’t quiver with the fear he felt. Itsrik hopping around, ready to help him. Though, what can a hare do?

Now standing atop the crater, the boy (he was a boy, right?) slowly erected himself and looked down at them, and the two siblings stared back in wonder and fear.

The circles of light finally dissipated as the boy stops glowing and gives a moan of exhaustion and suddenly faints. Katara gasped and ran forward to catch him before he hits the ground.

 _Why, why, why_!

Sokka followed behind and began to poke at the boy's head with the blunt end of his spear. What else he could do?

“Stop it!” Katara glared at him. He shrugged.

She placed the boy gently against the base of the crater. Sokka huffed; why did Katara had to get involved in every single thing she saw? He knew about the atrocities of war, or at least those who he had lived through, and he knew that even though one wished to help every single person they met, they simply couldn’t. Sometimes, it was better to just let it be. But, no, Katara _had_ to try and save everyone she could, endangering not only her brother but also herself as well.

The mysterious boy seemed to regain consciousness and Sokka couldn’t hear very well what he was telling Katara. However, upon further inspection, he realized something, something that send chills through his spine and made Itsrik get closer to him.

The boy had no daemon.

Who the heck in the world didn’t have a daemon? No one. He _had_ to have a daemon. If not, he was dead or something. Then, a follow up question popped in his mind.

Who was that kid?

The first words Sokka heard from the person that would change his life forever, the most important person in the world and the reason why the prophecies came true were.

“Will you go penguin sledding with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, also, there’s going to be an original villain in this story. So, I know it’s shit but hey, drop a kudos or a comment, I would love that!

**Author's Note:**

> Two words for the Dark Materials fans: Alamo Gulch.
> 
> I knew what was going to happen, I had already read what was going to happen, it broke me anyways.


End file.
